BY NADINE ARMSTRONG
The Hants Journal
NovaNewsNow.com
Plans to have Kings Transit service in Hants County for Sept. 4 are rolling right along, but some number-crunching is still on the agenda.
The original budget for the service has changed somewhat since Ron Mullins took over as director of KT and concerns were raised when he presented new figures to West Hants Municipal Council Aug. 14.
“Some things have jumped quite a bit,” said Municipal Warden Richard Dauphinee. “It looks like the gears have been shifted in midstream.”
He said that council was between a rock and a hard place at this point because they had already signed a one-year contract. “They presented this original budget to us and we agreed to it. We’ve now made the commitment for Sept. 4. Residents are looking forward to this; students are counting on the service.”
Mullins told council there was no way he could defend the original numbers and didn’t think it was a realistic budget based on factors such as timelines and lease agreements.
Original plan has changed
Because the service will start in September, the budget was modified to reflect a seven-month term rather than one year As well, the original plan to lease older buses has changed.
The original lease agreement came to $48,000. It will now cost $51,800 for the new accessible units. Cost of advertising increased from $1,000 to $5,000.
“We had to have a new budget regardless as we’re coming in at seven months rather than a one-year budget term,” Mullins said.
Some figures in the new budget dropped, such as maintenance costs. That will not be an issue with the new buses. “This is as on-par with the original budget as we can get and more accurate,” Mullins said.
However, a deal is a deal and he reminded council that bus service is not a profitable business organization and municipal subsidies will always be needed. At the same time, the number figure on the subsidies will rise and fall with usage.
“If ridership booms, the money will go back to the municipality and the subsidy will decrease,” he said. On the other hand, if ridership is poor the subsidy will rise.
“It’s a gamble either way. We knew that going in,” said Councillor Randy Matheson. “The whole budget depends on ridership; it’s only as good as our best guess.”
The new budget is based on a ridership of 23,100, at $2.11 per ticket with possible revenue of $48,000 over seven months.
Ridership looks good: Mullins
By Mullins’s estimation, ridership for this fall looks good. “It’s phenomenal the calls we’ve been getting for Hants service,” he said. Calls have also come in from other Valley municipalities looking for transport to Windsor.
Routes have been fine-tuned and approved. Bus runs will begin in Brooklyn each day by 6:15 a.m. and will take about one hour to get as far as the Just Us factory in Hantsport and then on toward the rest of the Valley.
The main stops locally will include West Hants Middle School, Avon View High School and the Hants Community Hospital. Mullins said that stops along rural routes would include residents’ driveways.
“As long as a person sticks out his arm, the bus will stop and pick them up,” Mullins said.
The plan now is to have CEOs from the three local councils meet with Mullins to discuss details of the new budget.
“If the bottom line comes out the same, I have no problem,” Dauphinee said.
“I’m very excited to see us bring this service to Hants County. It’s a done deal we’re in,” Mullins said.
Council will revisit the service after seven months and determine whether buses will continue to run.
A full schedule, route maps and bus passes will be available at all three municipal offices. Further information can be found at
www.kingstransit.ns.ca or by calling 1-800-546-4442.
